Barack Obama's presidential victory naturally led people to believe that the United States might finally be moving into a post-racial era. "Obama's Race" - and its eye-opening account of the role played by race in the election - paints a dramatically different picture. The authors argue that the 2008 election was more polarized by racial attitudes than any other presidential election on record - and perhaps more significantly, that there were two sides to this racialization: resentful opposition to and racially liberal support for Obama. As Obama's campaign was given a boost in the primaries from racial liberals that extended well beyond that usually offered to ideologically similar white candidates, Hillary Clinton lost much of her long-standing support and instead became the preferred candidate of Democratic racial conservatives. Time and again, voters' racial predispositions trumped their ideological preferences as John McCain - seldom described as conservative in matters of race - became the darling of racial conservatives from both parties. Hard-hitting and sure to be controversial, "Obama's Race" will be both praised and criticized - but certainly not ignored.

About the Author
Michael Tesler is a graduate student in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles. David O. Sears is distinguished professor of psychology and political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of numerous books.

Reviews
"Obama's Race is a timely, provocative, and important book that anyone with even a passing interest in politics simply must read. In their careful and detailed analysis, Tesler and Sears make a persuasive case for why Obama's election does not represent a fundamental sea change in how people think about politics. The results are striking, sobering, and deeply revealing." - Cindy D. Kam, Vanderbilt University"



Book Information
ISBN 9780226793832
Author Michael Tesler
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 312g
Dimensions(mm) 23mm * 16mm * 1mm